Kenneth M. Lanzetta, Stony Brook Univ.

Title:  Optimal Photometry of Faint Galaxies

Abstract:

I will describe a new method of measuring optimal photometry of faint  
galaxies in blended, undersampled, dithered observations.  I will  
also describe random and systematic uncertainties associated with the  
method and application of the method to mid-infrared-wavelength  
observations obtained by the Spitzer Space Telescope over the GOODS  
survey region.  The method is computationally intensive, but the  
method (or some similar variant) is absolutely necessary to maximize  
the return on the significant resources that have been committed to  
acquisition of the observations.  The method is of direct  
applicability to the next generation of deep galaxy surveys that will  
be obtained with the next generation of ground- and space-based  
telescopes.  The primary scientific object of the current analysis is  
to measure evolution of the comoving stellar mass density of the  
universe at all redshifts z < 6.